Dog Trainer, Brent LaBrada, discusses the number three chronic issue that all dog guardians face in dog training; Leash Reactivity. Brent dissects and analyzes why most dogs are reactive on leash, the reasons why and how to solve this issue.

K9s Only Positive Dog Training Philosophy

The primary goal of K9s Only is to produce a companion animal that bonds with and respects its guardian and has the ability and desire to please. It is important to K9s Only, that through working with your family, you will be able to better understand canine behavior and how to effectively communicate with your dog. This is achieved by recognizing that your dog is a living creature with a brain and has the ability to make his own choices. Our trainers influence the dog’s behavior in a natural way, allowing him to make right and wrong choices. It is only through making a wrong decision that your dog can learn and better understand what the expected behavior is.

Our first job is to educate your dog. Once your dog understands what a command means and makes a correct choice, he receives love and praise. When he makes a wrong choice, he is guided to do what is expected of him. Our trainers work with both verbal commands and hand signals so that your dog can make a decision without relying on the leash to guide him. The leash is your backup tool… gently reminding your dog when he fails to make the right decision. It is through positive experiences, given when your dog does as asked, that he learns about good behavior. Although we are not opposed to giving a treat for reward, we do not feel a dog should be bribed to listen to you. Like any relationship in your life, respect is important. Your dog must not only love you, but respect you as well. Remember, he is a pack animal and needs to learn to follow the rules of the leader (you), or he may try to become the leader of the household himself.

We do not believe in working aggressively with an animal. We believe in discipline, just as you would discipline your child in order to prepare that child to become a caring and respectful adult. You would not hit your child to make your point, nor should you strike your dog. However, you will expect your child to live by certain rules and the same goes for your dog. Remember, obedience is a tool that can be used to solve any problem, and often times it is something that could save your dog’s life.

Are you introducing a new dog to your current dog? Our trainers at K9s Only have a few suggestions to assure your dogs start the relationship off on the right paw!

Here are some quick and easy steps to follow when introducing your pups to one another.

Photo: Djun Kim

First and foremost, our trainers suggest putting your current dog in the crate while allowing the other dog walk around.This will ensure the safety of both your trusty companion and their new play partner. *Keep in mind that dogs tend to be more reactive on leash, so it’s best to allow them to meet with a barrier between them.*

After your new pup has had some time to scope out their new home and they’ve sniffed through that crate, it’s time for the both of them to meet. We recommend their first introduction while walking on leash and while doing so, allow the both of them to sniff each other. You can praise and reward both dogs with treats* if they approach each other appropriately (i.e. ears pulled to the side, no harsh stares, etc.). If there are no signs of aggression, allow them to play while they’re still on leash. (*If either dog has any signs of food aggression, just prise verbally)

Photo Credit: Tim Dorr

Lastly, observe their behavior towards each other for a few minutes to make sure their behavior is relaxed. If the dogs continue to be relaxed, they are ready for off leash play. If you notice any stiffening, direct eye contact or raised hackles (hair on the back of the neck stand up), it’s best to distract the dogs and place in the crate. Try the introduction again later, or call our trainers for help.

It’s important that the introduction is done correctly, to ensure that the relationship starts off on the right paw and they can have a happy life long friendship!

Dog Training

K9s Only has been a premier Los Angeles Dog Training facility proudly serving the Tarzana, West LA, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Brentwood areas for over 20 years. Our expert knowledge on dog behavior has shaped our dog training methods to look at the whole dog, not just the species. Like people, dogs have different strengths and weaknesses, different ways of learning and their dog training should be tailored to meet their individual needs. There is not ONE way to train every dog. The primary goal of K9s Only is to produce a companion animal that bonds with and respects its guardian and has the ability and desire to please. It is important to K9s Only, that through working with your family, you will be able to better understand canine behavior and how to effectively communicate with your dog. This is achieved by recognizing that your dog is a living creature with a brain and has the ability to make his own choices. Our dog trainers influence the dog’s behavior in a natural way, allowing him to make right and wrong choices. A training evaluation allows our trainers to determine what method and type of training will be most suitable and successful for you, your dog and your family. For more information, visit our Los Angeles dog training page or request an evaluation.

Dog Hotel / Dog Boarding

Our Los Angeles Dog Boarding facilities each offer private rooms for your dog, providing comfortable beds and blankets in a temperature controlled environment, including Filtered air and water. Our staff maintains the highest cleaning standards and our primary concern is the health and safety of your beloved dog. Because K9s Only specialized in dog training, our dog trainers capable of caring for all breeds and all temperaments and welcomes dogs that may not get along with other dogs. While vacationing with us, your dog will have 4-5 outings a day in playgroups that match your dog’s activity level and temperament. Dogs that don’t play well with others are given the same amount of playtime in our private yards, one-on-one with our caring Animal Care Associates. For more information, visit our Los Angeles Dog Boarding page.

Dog Daycare

Each location offers large indoor and outdoor play yards with ramps and obstacles for your dog to play and socialize while in our care. Large dogs and small dogs are separated and most importantly, our daycare yards NEVER have over 25 dogs playing at one time. Our dog trainers evaluate your dog through a safe and gentle process to ensure success in our yard. There is always an animal care attendant watching over the playgroup to maintain our non-bullying policy. At the end of the day, your dog is returned to you tired and happy, ready for some down time with you after your busy day and his busy day. Playing is hard work!. For more information, visit our Los Angeles Dog Daycare page.

Spa / Dog Grooming

K9s Only approach to grooming is one that is built on patience, a gentle hand and with your dog’s comfort and special needs in mind. The dog grooming experience should always be relaxing and our groomers will cater to your dogs every need. Breaks and naps are provided for senior dogs and puppies. Expert scissoring with knowledge of all breed cuts, the highest quality shampoos and conditioners, scalp massage, and hand drying sets K9s Only grooming apart from the rest. For more information, visit our Los Angeles Dog Grooming page.

Let sleeping dogs lie … in the bedroom. That’s according to a new Mayo Clinic study that’s sure to set many tails wagging.

Source:Mayo Clinic

It’s no secret that Americans love their dogs. According to the American Veterinary Association, more than 40 million American households have dogs. Of these households, 63 percent consider their canine companions to be family. Still, many draw the line at having their furry family members sleep with them for fear of sacrificing sleep quality.

“Most people assume having pets in the bedroom is a disruption,” says Lois Krahn, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist at the Center for Sleep Medicine on Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus and an author of the study. “We found that many people actually find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping with their pets.”

The study, “The Effect of Dogs on Human Sleep in the Home Sleep Environment,” evaluated the sleep of 40 healthy adults without sleep disorders and their dogs over five months. Participant and their dogs wore activity trackers to track their sleeping habits for seven nights.

According to the study, sleeping with dogs helps some people sleep better ─ no matter if they’re snoozing with a small schnauzer or dozing with a Great Dane. There is one caveat, however. Don’t let your canines crawl under the covers with you. The sleep benefit extends only to having dogs in your bedroom ─ not in your bed. According to the study, adults who snuggled up to their pups in bed sacrificed quality sleep.

“The relationship between people and their pets has changed over time, which is likely why many people in fact do sleep with their pets in the bedroom,” says Dr. Krahn. “Today, many pet owners are away from their pets for much of the day, so they want to maximize their time with them when they are home. Having them in the bedroom at night is an easy way to do that. And, now, pet owners can find comfort knowing it won’t negatively impact their sleep.”

So, go ahead. Turn your sheepdog into a sleep dog. Just make sure they are relegated to their own bark-o-lounger, rather than your bed.

Party lines may be sharply divided regarding issues, but not when it comes to animals and their welfare. California Assembly Bill 485, the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act, passed the California State Senate by a vote of 38 to 0.
With Assemblymember Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside) signing on as a co-author and more Republicans voting in favor in both houses, the bill passed with bipartisan support. The bill’s supporters are hoping that Gov. Jerry Brown will sign the historic animal-welfare law into being when it lands on his desk.

AB 485 was authored by Assembly Members Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) and Matt Dababneh (D-Encino) and sponsored by animal advocacy group Social Compassion in Legislation. The bill is written to ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits sourced from high-volume, commercial breeding facilities, known as mills, in all pet shops throughout the state. Stores that offer pets for sale will be required to source them from local shelters and rescues.

“I thank my Senate colleagues for their support on this critical measure and for defending the voiceless,” said Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach). “AB 485 gives so many shelter animals the chance to find their forever homes, while simultaneously cutting off the outlet for puppy mill animals into our state.”

“Most Californians agree that we need to put the brakes on the mass breeding of animals who end up in local shelters, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to care for and eventually euthanize,” said Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton). “AB 485 will take the puppy mills out of pet stores and give shelter animals a better chance of being adopted.”
The bill’s staunchest opponent is the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), an organization that monitors legislation affecting pets and the pet industry. Its president, Mike Bober, said that pet owners will actually lose out with regard to rights and protections, among them requirements that allow owners to be reimbursed for ill or deceased pets, that veterinarians regularly examine dogs that enter California pet stores, and provide materials and on the benefits of spaying and neutering. Pets that are sold by retail are generally intact.

“Most of these protections have existed since 1996,” said Bober, whose group represents California pet stores.

However, the supporters are celebrating a victory for cats, dogs and rabbits.

“We are thrilled by the Senate’s vote today,” Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation and the bill’s sponsor. “AB 485 is a historic bill that will reduce the demand for high volume, cruelly bred dogs, cats and rabbits [and] will allow over half a million pets normally euthanized in our shelters annually a greater chance for adoption, and again show that California is a leader in animal welfare legislation.”

Dababneh called the bill an important step in ending the inhumane and deplorable breeding practices of puppy mills, and fostering increased adoption opportunities for pets at local shelters. “However, our work is not done yet,” he said.

The bill will now go to back briefly to the Assembly Floor for a concurrence vote on the amendments adopted in the Senate and then to Governor Brown’s desk for signature. Supporters are encouraged to email, write or fax Gov. Brown and ask for his signature on the bill. Contact information is as follows:

K9s Only recently posted a blog about dog boredom leading to anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorders. Here’s another article along the same lines. Scroll to the bottom for some solutions!

Stimulation for animals, like humans, is not a luxury but a necessity,’ says animal welfare expert Charlotte Burn, who has raised concerns over shrinking brains.

By: Greg Wilford The Independent

Pet owners may envy their pampered pooches lying around the house snoring and yawning with abandon, but now scientists have warned that bestial boredom could cause animals’ brains to shrink.

Research has indicated that dogs become distressed by chronic boredom and can suffer adverse effects from a lack of stimulation. Cattle and animals in zoos can also suffer if they are kept in dull surroundings with little to interest them, it is claimed.

Animal welfare lecturer Charlotte Burn, from the The Royal Veterinary College, used cameras to observe dogs left alone in houses before publishing an essay called “Bestial boredom: a biological perspective on animal boredom and suggestions for its scientific investigation.”

She told The Times: “They often yawn, bark, howl and whine. Some sleep a lot – a sign of apathy. Some of this is anxiety but often they are just really bored.

“Boredom has long been thought of as a solely human emotion but animals suffer from it too. Research shows that being kept in barren environments without stimulation damages the brain.

“Neurones die off if not stimulated, so the brains of such animals tend to be smaller with fewer synapses.”

Ms Burn said “wild and domesticated animals are at particular risk in captivity, which is often spatially and temporally monotonous” in her paper, which was published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

“Human prisoners describe boredom as a torment and a monster that takes them over,” she told The Times.

Your solution?

Doggy Daycare at K9s Only. Socializing with other dogs is THE best solution for your bored pup!

Enroll in a Obedience Group Class or Dog Training. Small amounts of work every day keeps your dogs mind engaged and active. A basic Obedience group class starts 9/9/17!

Get outside! A quick walk around the block will make your pup SUPER happy and he’ll discover millions of scents to keep him busy.

Go for a drive. Now that the weather is cooling (A bit) let you pup ride with you to pick up the kids from school or fill up on gas.

Kate R. asks “I’m thinking about adopting another dog so my current one year old Terrier has company. Any suggestions on breed? Should I get the same type of dog and same sex? How about age?”

K9s Only Trainer Brent guides you through the process of determining which breed, age, sex and temperament would make the best companion for your existing fur baby. If you are thinking of adding another dog to your home, watch this video for great tips on choosing the right dog!

Many Clients ask “Is rawhide bad for my dog?” Rawhide chews are a popular treat for dogs. You might have heard that rawhide is good for your dog’s teeth and helps with his natural instinct to chew. But are there any MANY drawbacks to giving your dog rawhide treats and there are fantastic alternatives that work just as well, and are a lot safer for your dog. Here’s what you need to know.

1. What are rawhide dog treats made of?

Rawhide treats come from the inner layer of cow or horse hides. During manufacturing, the hides are cleaned and cut or ground. Then they’re pressed into chewable dog treats of different shapes and sizes. To make them more appealing for dogs, some rawhide treats contain beef, chicken, or liver flavorings.

2. What are the benefits of chew treats?

All dogs need to chew. It’s a natural instinct. Some even spend hours chewing every day. Chewing can provide your dog stimulation and help relieve anxiety. Especially with puppies, chew treats are a great substitute for your leather shoes and the legs of the dining room table! But, there are other options. Read on.

Chewing also keeps dogs’ jaws strong, teeth clean, and breath a bit fresher. Dogs that chew regularly on rawhides and other bones or toys have less plaque and tartar build-up on teeth.

3. Are there risks associated with rawhide dog treats?

Risks can be serious, so don’t ignore them. These are the most common rawhide risks:

Contamination. As with pet toys, rawhide chews can contain trace amounts of toxic chemicals. And, as with other pet (or human) foods, Salmonella or E. coli contamination is possible. Even humans can be at risk when coming into contact with these bacteria on rawhide treats.

Digestive irritation. Some dogs are simply sensitive or allergic to rawhide or other substances used in their manufacture. This can cause problems, including diarrhea.

Choking or blockages. Rawhide bones and other edible chews can pose a choking and blockage risk. In fact, this is a much bigger risk than contamination or digestive irritation. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Depending on its size and where it is located, a vet may be able to remove these pieces fairly easily through the throat. But sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death.

Watch for signs of bacterial contamination, gastric irritation, or a blockage. Contact your veterinarian if your dog has signs such as:

Gagging

Regurgitation

Repeated swallowing

Vomiting

Diarrhea, with or without blood

Fever

Lack of energy

Signs of pain

Refusal to eat or weight loss

At K9s Only, we believe the con’s outweigh the pros on rawhide and in fact, we don’t allow them in our store or even when clients bring them for their dogs staying at our hotel. Here is a better chew option that have the benefits of rawhide but without the risk, as well as being dishwasher safe and reusable! A win win!

K9s Only takes the highest precautions to prevent the spread of disease in our facilities. All guests are required to be up to date on DHLPP, Bordetella and Rabies vaccines. While the Department of LA Animal Services requires only a yearly Bordetella vaccine, we recommend that K9s Only clients receive the vaccine every six months. Clients that are not current on vaccines are not allowed entry until their vaccines are up to date. Additionally, all bowls and water buckets are sanitized after each meal and water buckets daily. Our dog rooms and suites, hallways, play yards and toys are scrubbed and sanitized daily. Though this canine influenza outbreak is currently located in the San Gabriel Valley, we highly recommend that dogs get vaccinated against H3N2. Here is a LINK for Low Cost Vaccine Clinics in your area. Vaccinating does not guarantee that your dog will not get kennel cough or influenza, but it does help prevent the disease and if contracted, vaccinated dogs symptoms are less severe than those not vaccinated. See LA Animal Service press release below.

Los Angeles, August 15, 2017 – LA County Veterinary Public Health reported that a dog living in the San Gabriel Valley tested positive for canine influenza H3N2. The dog developed a cough on July 29 after boarding at a kennel in the San Gabriel Valley. Efforts to contain the disease are underway after learning from the boarding facility that at least 11 other dogs developed coughs after being at the facility during the last half of July.

The source of this outbreak is currently unknown. Considering the spread of infection elsewhere in the nation and the continued import of dogs from Asia, there is a risk that this virus will be repeatedly introduced into the area.

Veterinary Public Health recommends that dogs that interact with other dogs should be vaccinated against canine influenza.

“If owners suspect their dog is infected, they should immediately seek veterinary medical attention and keep their pups away from other dogs,” said Dr. Jeremy Prupas, LA Animal Services Chief Veterinarian. “This virus has the potential to spread quickly and could reach our shelter population. At this time, we are not seeing any indication that the virus has entered any of our shelters.”

LA Animal Services is vaccinating dogs against canine influenza as part of our protocol upon admission. We are doing this to decrease the severity should an outbreak occur in our community.

The keys to preventing the spread of canine influenza H3N2 virus include:

Vaccination against canine influenza (requires two vaccinations, two to four weeks apart).

Isolation of sick animals for at least 30 days.

Frequent cleaning and disinfection in pet boarding facilities, grooming salons and veterinary practices, with written protocols and policies for maintaining infection control.

Frequent hand washing by animal owners and handlers.

Not sharing equipment or toys between healthy and sick animals.

Canine influenza H3N2 is a highly contagious upper respiratory viral disease in dogs. The majority of infected dogs exhibit a cough that persists for 10 to 21 days despite treatment with antibiotics and cough suppressants. Affected dogs may have a soft, moist cough or a dry cough similar to that induced by kennel cough. Nasal and/or ocular discharge, sneezing, lethargy and anorexia may also be observed. Many dogs develop a purulent nasal discharge and fever (104 – 105 degrees Fahrenheit). A small percentage of infected dogs may develop a severe pneumonia and require extensive hospitalization.

The virus is spread via coughing, barking and sneezing, as well as contaminated objects (kennel surfaces, food and water bowls, collars and leashes). The virus can remain alive and able to infect other animals on surfaces for up to 48 hours, on clothing for 24 hours, and on hands for 12 hours.